Fire expand fully-funded Academy Program to include U-10 through U-18

CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Wednesday that the club has expanded the Chicago Fire Academy program to include a fully-funded program for youth soccer players ranging from Under-10 to Under-18. The new Chicago Fire Academy is the only comprehensive, fully-funded player development program in Major League Soccer encompassing players from U-18 down to U-10.

“We are extremely proud to be able to offer a fully funded program to youth soccer players in the Chicagoland area,” said Chicago Fire Vice President of Soccer Operations Guillermo Petrei. “The commitment and investment made by our owner Andrew Hauptman and the club is truly invaluable as we embark on the next phase of professional player development.”

The Chicago Fire Academy program is designed to maximize the frequency of training and give players access to the top soccer development facilities in the Midwest. The Academy will utilize MLS programming and competition platforms that are currently the highest standard of play in the United States, and will provide players with access to the most professional training environment of its kind in Chicago.

The Fire player development program has grown from 400 youths to over 10,000 across seven states, and will expand the Chicago Fire Academy program to new age groups with Academy teams now being operated at U10, U11, U12, U13, U14 & U15 in addition to the U16 and U18 age groups that participate in the USSF Development Academy. All players selected for this program will be eligible for inclusion on the club’s Homegrown Player List.

Players in the new Academy program will undergo the highest level of instruction from Fire coaches, as the Fire staff are all certified with a United States Soccer Federation “A” coaching license. In addition, the Chicago Fire Academy provides a foray into to the club’s “Team for the World’ alliance with eight international clubs including Atletico Madrid (Spain), Club America (Mexico) and Internacional (Brazil).

Tryout Information:

AGE GROUP

DAY/DATE

TIME

LOCATION

U 10

FRIDAY MAY 11TH

5:00PM

TOYOTA PARK BRIDGEVIEW

U 11

FRIDAY MAY 11TH

5:00PM

TOYOTA PARK BRIDGEVIEW

U 12

FRIDAY MAY 11TH

6:30PM

TOYOTA PARK BRIDGEVIEW

U 13

MONDAY MAY 14TH

5:30PM

BRIDGEVIEW SPORTSDOME

BRIDGEVIEW

U 14

MONDAY MAY 14TH

7:00PM

BRIDGEVIEW SPORTSDOME

BRIDGEVIEW

U 15

MONDAY MAY 14TH

8:30pm

BRIDGEVIEW SPORTSDOME

BRIDGEVIEW

The Chicago Fire Academy provides an elite player development environment designed to identify and develop the best young talent within the Chicago area, with the ultimate goal of cultivating the elite player who aspires to be a professional or top level collegiate player.